February 16, 2012

Rabid Reads: 'Guarding the Healer' by Gabriel Beyers

When you delve into the horror genre you can find many a novel with a
spotlight on the destroyers of the world, but how often do you find
one that explores the healers? And I'm talking literally here, as the
protagonist in Gabriel Beyers' debut novel is just that--a healer.

Silas Walker wants to be a good little Christian and when he
discovers he's been blessed with the ability to heal, he gets his
chance to really make a difference. The healing powers aren't
something he can really control consciously though, like some kind of
super power; it's more like he has become an instrument of God and
the power flows through Silas. There's a malevolent force
lurking in town, however, and has gone so far as to possess a
troubled young man in order to torment and target Silas.

To me, it felt like this novel took a little while to find its
footing. Silas' character was constructed well through the opening
chapters and the conflicts he is faced with once he realizes he's
been imbued with a healing force felt very convincing. That said, the
opening chapters were surprisingly heavy with the supernatural. I
expected the slow build with that stuff as the novel progressed, but
from the get-go the angels and demons are given the spotlight. And
for a while I wondered if the novel was going to be told
predominantly through the eyes of Silas' guardian angel, Nassarius.
In fact, as the novel progressed I found myself really wishing the
story was told strictly from Silas' viewpoint rather than moments
with the angel. That aspect of the novel felt a little too inside
and kind of diminished some tension. It was the human factor of the
novel I thought deserved a much bigger focus, even though it was
already the dominant storyline. I thought the introduction of Tommy,
a drifter with a past that winds up aiding Silas, was especially
helpful in caring the humanity of the story.

While I didn't care for the novel a whole lot, I do have to say that
Gabriel did a real good job in presenting his characters through the
whole of the novel. Nothing felt forced or artificial, and even
though there were some lulls that could have been put on the chopping
block, each character definitely shone through. It's a novel that is
okay, bordering on very good, but just fell short for me and didn't
hold my interest in many spots. It's worth giving a chance if you
like tales of supernatural forces infringing on the mundane,
particularly if you're into the whole demons versus angels thing, but
for me it wasn't quite enough.